


The Letter - fire

by hito_ritabi



Category: Original Work
Genre: forest fire, river - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-22 17:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2515850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hito_ritabi/pseuds/hito_ritabi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>prompt: "your character is caught in a large fire"</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Letter - fire

Tripping, he fell face first into the dirt. His mouth was filled with damp soil that stuck to his teeth. Groaning, he shifted up, never caring about his appearance. A quick glance over his shoulder, and he saw the red flames licking their way closer to him. The fire was spreading at an alarming rate considering how wet the forest seemed when he set up camp earlier that night.

 

“Oh shit.” He gasped, stumbling to his feet. He tripped over falling leaves and foliage as he started running away from the fire. As he ran, dirt fell from his face. “What to do-” he asked himself quickly, panting for air. “Fire, fire, what do you do in a fire?” He began to think back to his time in highschool, trying to recall if there was any helpful information from the teachers.

 

Stay low to avoid smoke, use your hands to guide you, make for a window or door, closing doors behind you to stop the fire.

 

Well, that won't help me, Hito thought, looking skyward. The trees above him looked lush and green, but the ash and smoke was starting to prickle his ears. Birds could be heard screeching above and around him. All of the animals were just as freaked out as he was.

 

“Uh, uh, gotta think, gotta think.” He mumbled to himself.

 

He stopped at a fallen old tree that was in his way and began to climb over it. As he went, rabbits and squirrels were racing him and fairing a lot better with speed. When Hito reached the top of the log, he turned around to survey where he was. The log didn't give him much height, but it did lift him a good four-to-five-feet up off the earth. The fire was enclosing him rapidly. The flames that had only been behind him were burning brush just ten feet away. Hot ash, flakes of leaves still simmering, floated through the air as they were caught in currents of heat.

 

“Shit,” Hito looked around. He didn't have time to ponder what would happen if he died here. Just off to his right, parallel to the log, his gray eyes caught sight of a dent in the land- a cliff- a dropoff- something.

 

Hurrying quickly, Hito slid down the log, his dull green cargo shorts now muddy on the front, and caked with moss and pieces of foliage on his ass. Briefly, he glanced up to see if there was any blue in the sky above the trees, and only saw the dark patch of smoke- gray, orange and ashy in color.

 

Finally, he reached the dent. Gasping for breath Hito looked down, seeing a stream, probably a river just ten feet down. No thoughts passed through his mind, as Hito took the leap and jumped down into the cool water. Yelping as his blond hair was suddenly forced under while he attempted to get his bearings, the current began to carry him downstream.

 

He gasped, flailing out his arms. Head above water, take a huge breath and hold it incase you're pushed under, he told himself. He tried to steady his legs, keeping them paddling, while he kept trying to turn around to face whatever direction the water was carrying him. He wouldn't want to hit a boulder or a log after coming this far.

 

Squinting with difficulty, Hito could barely make out the sight above him- along the edges of the river was a feverish red glow. Scanning his gray eyes downward to the horizon, Hito got a firm look at where he was headed- it would take him out of the fire for sure- but first up: the rapids.

 

In his head he judged the distance, counting down the seconds. When he reached zero, he took in the biggest breath that he could, and held it, one hand clinging to his nose. He shut his eyes tight just in time for his body to get rocketed through the violent waters.

 


End file.
